9 Best Inventory Management Software for Small Businesses in 2023
This article is part of a larger series on POS Systems.
Inventory management software should help businesses easily track items or parts throughout the supply chain, give performance insights, and have industry-specific features. We considered over a dozen inventory control systems for price, features, quality, and how well they work for specific business needs.
Based on our evaluations, the best inventory management software for small businesses are:
- Zoho Inventory: Best overall inventory management software
- Lightspeed Retail: Best for retailers
- Agiliron: Best for B2B retail
- EZRentOut: Best for rental companies
- Katana: Best for manufacturing companies
- MarketMan: Best for restaurants
- Cin7 Orderhive: Best for growing ecommerce companies
- Orderry: Best for repair shops and services
- Ordoro: Best for volume sellers and dropshippers
Inventory Management Software Compared
Monthly Fee | Free Plan | Onboarding | Kitting, Bundling | Vendor Management | Ecommerce and POS tools | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
$79–$399 | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | Integrations | |
$119–$299* | 14-day trial | Costs extra | ✕ | ✓ | POS included; ecommerce extra also has integrations | |
$99–$299 | 30-day trial | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | POS, ecommerce included; also has integrations | |
$89–$349 | 15-day trial | Guided onboarding support with higher plans | ✕ | ✓ | API | |
$129–$999** | 14-day trial | Free with higher plans | ✓ | ✓ | Integrations | |
$179–$399 | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Integrations | |
$125–$500 | Can hire an expert | Some included; can purchase extra help | ✓ | ✓ | Integrations | |
$39–$99** | 14-day free trial | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ | Integrations | |
$499–$999 | 15-day free trial (Free plan does not include inventory management) | 30-day onboarding assistance | ✓ | ✓ | Integrations | |
*If you use Lightspeed Payments, the price goes down to $89–$249.
**This service limits the number of users but lets you add employees at a reduced price.
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Find the Best Inventory Management Software for Your Business
How complex is your inventory? The systems we reviewed are inventory-specific, although some include other tools like point-of-sale (POS) software. Smaller businesses may find it cheaper to get a good POS system that includes inventory. Meanwhile, large warehouses or manufacturers may need something more robust, like an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Finally, if your inventory needs are simple, here are the best free inventory software for small businesses.
Zoho Inventory: Best Overall Inventory Management Software for Small Businesses
Pros
- Handles multiple channels, warehouses, and currencies
- Highly rated mobile app
- Can monitor expiration dates on batch orders
- Bundling, composite, and kitting tools
Cons
- Lacks return management
- Lacks rental function
- Limited POS integrations
Since our last update:
Zoho has added a new level, Ultimate, with advanced analytics, improved interface, and additional customizations (which we cover in Features).
- Free: 50 monthly online orders, 1 warehouse, 2 users, and integrate 1 Shopify store
- Standard ($79/month): 1,500 online orders, 2 warehouses, 3 users, and integrate 1 Shopify store
- Professional ($129/month): 7,500 online orders, 5 warehouses, 5 users, and integrate 2 Shopify stores + vendor portal, 5 automated workflows, serial and batch tracking
- Premium ($199/month): 15,000 online orders, 7 warehouses, 10 users, and integrate 5 Shopify stores, 10 automated workflows + picklists, unit of measurement conversions and contextual chat
- Elite ($299/month): 25,000 orders, 15 warehouses, 15 users, integrate 5 Shopify stores, 10 automated workflows, advanced multicurrency handling
- Ultimate ($399/month): for Elite + Zoho Analytics
- Discount for annual plans
- Can add on users, warehouses, orders and auto-scans as reduced rates
Since our last update:
Zoho has been busy adding new features to its software. Some of the most notable to come out since June 2022 include:
- Shipments module: Shipments have been moved from Packages for easier access
- Custom tabs in the client portal
- More customization tools
- Creating and assigning tasks
- Separate module of Purchase Receives
- Document attachment to shipments
- More shipping tools
Standout Features | App for Android (4.5 stars rating on Google Play) and iOS (4.6-star rating in App Store): Add items, manage sales orders, view warehouse stock, track items, and fulfill orders from your phone or tablet. |
Works for | Retail, ecommerce, multinational, dropshipping, warehouses, and manufacturers. |
Ease of Use | Easy-to-use overall, with intuitive navigation; users say setup can be overly complex; three levels of support, with paid support 24/7; training available. |
Tracking | Track items, set reorder points, create reminders, and note preferred vendors |
Purchase Orders | Create purchase orders manually or via online sales, generate shipping labels, and get shipping updates. |
Barcoding | Barcode scanning auto-populates your fields when you create invoices, sales, or purchase orders. |
Sales Channels | Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Shopify, Zoho Commerce, and more via third-party integration. |
Integrations | Two shopping carts, 30+ shipping carriers, seven CRM software, two accounting platforms, eight payment processors, Slack, Microsoft, and more. No POS—consider Lightspeed or Agiliron instead. |
Advanced Features | Composite function for kitting, batch tracking, expiration dates, real-time shipping rates, and in-transit details. |
Customer Reviews | Customers say Zoho is easy to use and a good value, but they report some issues with ecommerce integration and would like stronger CRM features and bin assignment. |
Zoho’s products for small businesses often make our best-of lists because they provide great value for the price. Here, Zoho Inventory takes the No. 1 spot because it has a good free option for small inventories that nonetheless contains a full set of inventory tools.
It can handle multiple warehouses, ecommerce, and purchase orders all from one inventory management platform. Additionally, it is customizable for different use cases and has an intuitive interface. Zoho Inventory also has features for managing perishable items, like expiration monitoring and alerts, making it good for small grocery stores.
This software earned a 4.49 out of 5 in our evaluation, earning the top score for pricing. It’s the cheapest of the inventory systems on our list after Orderry, though Zoho’s free plan gave it an edge. While it scored well for its features, you may find more industry-specific tools in EZRentOut or Lightspeed, which are more targeted for rental operations and retailers, respectively. That, along with limited customer support hours and a lack of native POS integrations, prevented Zoho from getting a perfect score.
Lightspeed Retail: Best Small Business Inventory Software for Retailers
Pros
- Inventory syncing with POS and ecommerce
- Unlimited inventory entries on all plans
- Advanced customer relationship management (CRM), vendor, and granular inventory reporting
- Built-in POS
Cons
- No free plan; higher price point
- User interface (UI) is unintuitive
- Does not have functions for managing perishable goods
Since our last update:
Pricing has decreased for Lightspeed’s Lean and Standard plans.
- Lean ($119/month): Inventory with POS, 24/7 support, free training resources
- Standard ($179/month): Adds ecommerce and accounting integrations
- Advanced ($299/month): Adds loyalty program and advanced reporting tools, plus one-on-one onboarding
- Enterprise: Custom pricing and features for large companies
- Discounts for annual plans and for using Lightspeed Payments
Since our last update:
Lightspeed has improved the tags fields, serial number searches, control of merging tools, and management of vendors. You can create up to 200 matrix variants (more than we’ve seen in other software), and update images as WEBP.
Standout Features | Manage your retail store operations from inventory to POS to customer loyalty on one platform—even payment processing—with no integrations required. |
Works for | Retail and ecommerce. |
Ease of Use | Interface can be difficult to navigate at first, but you can access 24/7 reports and one-on-one onboarding support. |
Tracking | Track items, set reorder points, create reminders, conduct sales, transfer stock between locations, and create inventory groups. |
Purchase Orders | Create and send purchase orders; file and track them for future use. |
Barcoding | Barcode scanning auto-populates your fields when you create invoices, sales, or purchase orders. |
Integrations | Three accounting integrations, four-plus ecommerce integrations, one payroll integration, and full integrated payments with Lightspeed payments. |
Advanced Features | Custom fields for product pages, click-and-collect ordering, inventory counting features, custom reporting options, multi-location reporting, included CRM. |
Customer Reviews | Customers say that they are overall very happy with the product, but there are occasional glitches with the scanner and some growing pains during setup. Users say customer support is slow. |
Lightspeed Retail is a popular retail point-of-sale (POS) system known for its inventory management features. Not only can you conduct sales both online and in-store with Lightspeed, but the platform tracks all your inventory levels in real time across multiple locations and channels, allows you to run advanced reports, and integrates seamlessly with ecommerce stores. It doesn’t manage perishable goods like Zoho, although if you run a restaurant, you’ll find that feature in Lightspeed Restaurant. (MarketMan is still a better pick for restaurant inventory.)
Interested in learning more about POS inventory management systems? You can check out our article on the best POS inventory systems.
While Lightspeed scored 4.41 out of 5, it does have a few areas where it lacks. It can also be challenging to use at first and frustrating when training new employees on your POS. Lightspeed’s basic plan is pricey, although you can bring the price down by using Lightspeed’s payment processor. However, it rocked for inventory features, having the second-highest score after Agiliron.
Lightspeed also has POS systems with built-in inventory tools for restaurants and golf courses. Learn more about this system in our full Lightspeed Retail review.
Agiliron: Best Inventory Software for B2B Retail
Pros
- B2B and B2C ecommerce store options
- Unlimited orders in all plans
- Integrates with Amazon and eBay stores
- International capabilities
Cons
- Only one user included in all plans
- Steep learning curve when learning to use the platform
- Some integrations are paid features
All plans include unlimited orders, a POS, a CRM system, ecommerce store, eBay and Amazon integrations, and 24/7 email support.
- Premier ($99/month): 1 user, 2 sales channels, email support
- Enterprise ($199/month): 1 user, 2 sales channels, multilocation tracking, B2B store, advanced inventory tools, phone support
- Global Enterprise ($299/month): 1 user, 2 sales channels, international stores, multiple currencies
- Discount for annual plans
Standout Features | Has a B2B portal with customer-specific price settings; create and track matrix item products, serialized products, assembly products, kit products, and pre-set substitution products; access product information anywhere in the program. |
Works for | Retail, ecommerce, B2B, wholesale, and manufacturing. |
Ease of Use | Centralized inventory tracking, onboarding specialist, and an online learning center with videos; complex program with a steeper learning curve. |
Tracking | Track bin, lot, serial, style SKUs, and service products. |
Purchase Orders | Create purchase orders and assign them to accounts and salespeople. |
Barcoding | Input and track manufacturers, Amazon, or other SKUs. |
Sales Channels | Amazon, eBay, Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and other online stores. |
Integrations | Multiple payment solutions, QuickBooks, ShipStation, and more. |
Advanced Features | Kitting and assembly, bulk order, bulk packing slips, product substitutions, and customizations like gift wrapping. |
Customer Reviews | While customers enjoyed the range of features and said it was reasonably easy to use, several did mention that it was initially intimidating and took longer to learn. |
Agiliron is a multichannel management system with ecommerce, social commerce, retail, and wholesale functions. This software excels in providing easy access to information from anywhere in the program. It offers comprehensive inventory features for creating custom orders, kitting features, assemblies, matrixed products, and product substitutions to set this system apart. With competitive pricing to Lightspeed and its own POS, we chose it for its excellent B2B tools.
It earned an overall score of 4.25 out of 5. Agiliron had the highest score for inventory functions. Its score for pricing would have been higher if it had a free plan. You also need higher plans for multiple warehouses. For a less expensive—though simpler—software, Zoho Inventory is your best bet. Users love Agiliron’s functionality but say it takes time to learn it.
EZRentOut: Best Small Business Inventory Software for Rental Companies
Pros
- B2B and B2C support
- Availability-based ordering and renting
- GPS tracking of items
- Equipment depreciation tracking
Cons
- Purchase order only included in higher plans
- Limited integrations in smaller plans
- Standard plan has very limited features
Pricing
Since our last update:
EZRentOut has changed its plans and increased its pricing. Location tracking is now included in all plans. It also lets you add service and maintenance plans to inventory.
- Essential ($89/month): 2 users, 100 locations, unlimited orders, 10 custom fields, unlimited rentals, basic reports, no payment integrations
- Add users for $20/month
- Growth ($179/month): 4 users, 150 locations, unlimited orders, 20 custom fields, B2B customer management, custom reports, online customer portal, payment integrations, guided onboarding session
- Plus ($134.97/month): 3 users, unlimited items, 30 custom fields, additional inventory and reporting features
- Premium ($349/month): 6 users, 200 locations, unlimited orders, unlimited items, 30 custom fields, advanced reporting and inventory features, online rental store, multi-store inventory, QuickBooks integration, phone support
- Discount for annual plans
Since our last update:
EZRentOut has added a Service Workshop solution for listing and selling maintenance services on your rental assets and customer equipment.
Standout Features | |
Works for | Audio/visual, bikes, equipment, sports, furniture and staging, events and parties, universities, and assistive technology. |
Ease of Use | Straightforward interface; knowledgebase, tutorials, 24/7 email support, and phone support during business hours. |
Tracking | GPS tracking of items, availability calendars, service and repair, track as individual pieces or bulk (e.g., 30 chairs); track consumables. |
Purchase Orders | Low-stock counts, purchase orders with higher plans. |
Barcoding | Barcode or QR code can include geo-location and IP address in higher plans. |
Sales Channels | Online rental store with customer portal |
Integrations | Seven payment gateways, two CMSes, two accounting software, and multiple others. |
Advanced Features | GPS tracking of assets, customized pricing, and route management for deliveries. |
Customer Reviews | Customers say it’s generally easy to use, but the returns process could be streamlined; setup and integrations can take some work. |
EZRentOut offers terrific inventory features designed for the specific needs of rental companies, whether equipment rental for construction or sports, audio equipment, or furniture for homes or events. It lets you note damage by renters, track depreciation, and (like Oderry) track services and repairs. Plus, its GPS tracking tools make it easy to see where your equipment is at any time.
It earned 4.23 out of 5 on our rubric—an excellent score given its specificity. It took hits for limited integrations, which, like Orderry, are primarily through Zapier—although EZRentOut offers an ecommerce store for online renting and sales. Like Agiliron, it also has B2B customer management tools. It lacks a free plan and payment gateway, hurting its pricing score. However, it got high marks for inventory tools and ease of use.
Katana: Best for Manufacturing Companies
Pros
- Complete shop floor control, including supply management
- Track items by expiration date
- Manage product variants and materials
- Adjust manufacturing plans based on material stock levels
Cons
- Support via email only
- Only one user; must pay for more
- No mobile app
Since our last update:
Katana has added a new plan and changed plan names and some prices.
- Essential ($129/month): 1 user, 3 warehouses, unlimited items, access to native integrations
- Add users for $29/month
- Advanced ($349/month): 1 full-access user, 3 shop floor operators, unlimited warehouses, batch and expiry date tracking, multicurrency support, Shop Floor App, API, free onboarding
- Add full-access users at $39/month and shop floor operators at $9/month
- Professional ($999/month): 1 full-access user, 3 shop floor operators, unlimited warehouses, multicurrency support; dedicated customer support manager
- Add full-access users at $79/month and shop floor operators at $19/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing; advanced tools and onboarding support
- Discount for annual plans
Since our last update:
Katana has added integrations with BigCommerce, Replyco, Make, Integrately, QuickBooks, Magento, eBay, and others. It launched Katana Insights for smart manufacturing analysis, added new workflows, inventory period closing, and a PDF template builder.
Standout Features | Manage product deadlines, automate customer order processes, detailed inventory tracking, B2B and ecommerce, sales orders. |
Works for | Manufacturing for apparel, footwear, electronics and high tech, food and beverage, health, beauty, home and garden, jewelry, sports, toys, and machinery. |
Ease of Use | Simple interface, knowledgebase, tutorial videos, contact support by email only. |
Tracking | Track raw materials and finished products, see on-hand, committed, and expected stock levels, variants, and multiple warehouses. |
Purchase Orders | Low-stock and expiry dates; add multiple items to purchase orders. |
Barcoding | Auto-generate batch and internal barcodes. |
Sales Channels | Wix, ShipStation, Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce. eBay, Amazon, Walmart, and others. |
Integrations | Popular POS systems including Toast, Revel, Lightspeed, Square, Aloha, and others. Additional software including Xero, QuickBooks, Prospect CRM, Shiptheory, Webhook, and more. |
Advanced Features | Job costing, production planning, and automated workflows. |
Customer Reviews | Users give high praise to customer support, price, and ease of use; would like to add images, have an easier time uploading documents, and have the ability to revert in real time to correct mistakes. |
Katana stands out from the others on our list because it’s specifically designed for manufacturers. In addition to the bundling and kitting tools nearly all the others have, it can track products and supplies at all levels of the manufacturing process. Plus, it has automatic workflows, so you can concentrate on making the best products quickly.
It moved up in this update with an overall score of 4.13 out of 5, taking hits on pricing for not having a free plan and only allowing one user per plan (unless you pay extra). Katana also lacks a mobile app, like Orderry and Ordoro, and has limited integration capabilities. However, it is great for features and is one of the few on the list that can track supplies, even by volume and expiration date. It even has adjustments so that you can sell products you don’t move as well.
MarketMan: Best Inventory Software for Restaurants
Pros
- Break down every menu item by ingredient cost
- Menu reports helps you understand most and least profitable items
- Flexible integration solutions for POS and accounting software
- Purchase order/invoice services included
Cons
- Plans start at $179 per month
- Multiple location tracking only available on Ultimate plan
- Pricey vendor integrations and invoice scanning fees
Since our last update:
MarketMan’s prices have increased.
- Operator ($179/month): Purchase orders, inventory counting and transfers, accounts payable management, POS and accounting software integrations, COGs and purchasing reporting, 20 invoice scans per month
- Professional ($249/month): Adds supplier order automation and approvals, waste tracking, recipe costing, advanced reporting, API access, 50 invoice scans per month
- Ultimate ($399/month): 2 included vendor integrations and 300 invoice scans per month
- Onboarding: $500 (mandatory)
- Discounts and free onboarding for annual plans
Add-ons
- Invoice scans/processing: $50/100 scans
- Vendor Integratons: $25/month per integration
- Commissary Module: $50/month per location for advanced features for commissary/central kitchens
Standout Features | Place orders in the app and send them to vendors in their preferred format, automated low stock alerts, ingredient/recipe level tracking, track in custom units (oz, lbs, size). |
Works for | Restaurants. |
Ease of Use | Simple interface for both desktop and mobile devices; onboarding assistance; contact support via email or call with limited hours. |
Tracking | Track in real time at the ingredient level; conduct counts with the mobile app scanner; create physical count sheets that match your storage areas to streamline physical counts. |
Purchase Orders | Create, approve, and receive purchase orders directly in your MarketMan dashboard; MarketMan will also keep all your past orders so you can easily use them to make repeat orders. |
Barcoding | Barcode scanner enabled on mobile devices via the mobile app. |
Sales Channels | Square, Tablet POS, Revel, Toast, Lightspeed, Lavu, Clover, EZ Dine, iKentoo, POS iTouch, Tray, and Aloha. |
Integrations | SAP, Micros, Upserve, Xer, QuickBooks, Bypass, Gastrofix, Kounta, and TouchBistro |
Advanced Features | Connect inventory controls right to your menu and the ingredients used in each dish; advanced reporting (sales, expense, purchasing, menu profitability, actual vs theoretical, cost of goods sold, and gross profits reports); manage invoices and account payable |
Customer Reviews |
MarketMan is a cloud-based inventory and vendor management app designed specifically for restaurants, with supply tracking based on expiration dates and recipes when desired. One unique function is that it will process invoices for you. It integrates with many popular POS systems and has robust invoicing and scanning functions. MarketMan says its customers save 2% to 5% in overall food costs, 4 to 8 hours in accounting data entry, and 50% time in placing orders.
It scored 3.94 out of 5 in our evaluation. MarketMan is the second-most expensive product on our list and does not offer a free plan or trial. There is no CRM suite like there is with Lightspeed and Cin7 Orderhive, and it has limited multichannel management. Otherwise, it has excellent inventory tools. It costs $500 to set up the software, but it can tie ingredients and quantities to recipes. Each plan also comes with a set number of invoices. Tell them what you need, and they will process your purchase orders for you.
Learn more about restaurant inventory management software, including why MarketMan is the best option in our full MarketMan review.
Cin7 Orderhive: Best Small Business Inventory Software for Growing Ecommerce Companies
Pros
- Centralized inventory across multiple channels
- Advanced purchase order options, including custom fields, duplication, and importing/exporting features
- Workflow automation
Cons
- Android app only
- 20/5 support only during setup; afterward, only through email and chat (except for highest plans)
- No free plan
All plans include marketplace and ecommerce integrations, stock transfers, purchasing management, chat and email support. Some onboarding is included, depending on the plan.
- Essentials ($125/month): 300 orders per month, 2 users, unlimited integrations in 2 categories; includes basic order, shipping, returns and inventory management
- Pro ($225/month): 1,000 orders per month, 4 users, and unlimited integrations in 4 categories; includes basic order, shipping, returns and inventory management
- Pro Plus ($325/month): 2,000 orders per month, 6 users, and unlimited integrations from 8 categories; includes basic inventory management, and advanced order and returns management, plus shipping integrations and phone support
- Enterprise ($500/month): Unlimited monthly order, users, and integrations; everything in Pro Plus, plus accounting, advanced inventory, and an account manager
- Discount for annual plans
Onboarding add-ons
- Additional Training: $100/hour
- End-to-end Automation Setup: $500
- Data Import Migration: $1,000
- Catch up with Product Team: $200/hour
Standout Features | Free plan for Shopify users; serialize inventory; manage variants to bundles. |
Works for | Ecommerce and dropshipping. |
Ease of Use | Intuitive interface, 20/5 support (higher plans; others email and chat), technical expert referral services, and knowledgebase. |
Tracking | Track serial, batch, or expiry dates, FIFO inventory rules. |
Purchase Orders | Low stock alerts, assign multiple suppliers to one product, automated PO creation. |
Barcoding | Generate and print barcodes. |
Sales Channels | Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, WooCommerce, eBay, Magento, and BigCommerce. |
Integrations | 20 fulfillment companies, 13 marketing automations, eight shopping carts, 200+ shipping services, three payment processors, four POS systems, 10 CRM platforms. |
Advanced Features | Automate ecommerce tasks for order creation, inventory, purchase orders, dropshipping; split ordering, fraud order handling. |
Customer Reviews | Customers are pleased overall but say that it can be buggy and sometimes lacks depth of reporting detail or some feature they need. Some complained about integrations being costly. |
Since our last update:
Cin7 and Orderhive have combined and rebranded. Pricing has increased. The Android app has been updated but is not rated yet. Support has changed to 20/5 during setup, then via email or chat except in higher plans.
We found Cin7 Orderhive the best solution for managing inventory for pure ecommerce and dropshipping. Powering over 5,500 ecommerce businesses, it not only handles inventory but also automates ecommerce tasks, works with 200+ shipping carriers, and has manufacturing management tools. You can automate purchase orders based on stock thresholds and manage inventory across multiple stores and warehouses. Plus, it has batch, serial number coordination, stock transfers, kitting, and more.
Cin7 Orderhive cloud inventory earned a respectable 3.90 on our rubric. It earned good scores for inventory features, ease of use, and our expert score but got docked heavily in the pricing section for its pricing and lack of a free plan—if this is a consideration for you, try Zoho. It integrates with POS systems, but if you have in-store sales, we suggest Lightspeed or Agiliron.
Orderry: Best Small Business Inventory Software for Repair Shops & Services
Pros
- Specialized tools for auto service centers, plumbing, HVAC, repair shops
- Track clients’ property and your own
- Bin location tracking available
Cons
- Limited integrations
- Mobile app only works for work orders rather than inventory
- Lacks strong vendor management and purchase order functions
Since our last update: Orderry’s prices have increased.
- Hobby ($39/month): 1 employee, 1 location, 100 orders, 1 location
- $3 for each additional employee
- Startup ($69/month): 1 employee, 1 location, unlimited orders, unlimited locations
- +$6 for each additional employee and +$49 for each additional location
- Business ($99/month): 1 employee, 1 location, unlimited orders, unlimited locations, advanced inventory locations
- +$9 for each additional employee and +$79 for each additional location
- Enterprise ($199/month): Adds a personal manager
- Discount for annual plans
Since our last update:
Orderry has added integrations for QuickBooks, Xero, and WhatsApp (others still need Zapier or an API), detection of vehicles by VIN code, and many changes to its mobile app (which is for work orders and not inventory).
Standout Features | Task management; write-off inventory in work orders; track tools and customer items; bin locations. |
Works for | Repair shops of all sizes—cellphone, computer, auto, appliance, power tools, service centers, plumbing, contractors. |
Ease of Use | Live chat or email, self-guided instructions, knowledgebase, easy-to-use interface. |
Tracking | Tools, consumables, client items; bundles, bin locations, multiwarehouse; track by employee as well as location. |
Purchase Orders | Low stock alerts and supplier information only. |
Barcoding | Assign barcodes to orders, products, serial numbers, bin locations; scan barcodes; no mobile. |
Sales Channels | None |
Integrations | QuickBooks, Xero, WhatsApp; rest use Zapier. |
Advanced Features | Asset tracking includes brands, models, types; can track assets being diagnosed or repaired, or assigned to employees or contractors. |
Customer Reviews | Customers say it’s a very easy-to-use software; the few complaints concern features the specific customer needs rather than trends. |
We selected Orderry for its strong tools for repair shops of any size and kind—from a one-man auto parts business to a computer repairs enterprise. Orderry’s management system can track tools, supplies, and even the items your customer leaves in your care, something not seen in the other software on this list. In addition, it has work order management that takes you from leads to repeat sales and includes a scheduler and more. Further, it’s the cheapest small business inventory software on our list.
Orderry earned 3.89 out of 5 on our rubric. Its offerings are not as diverse as those of Zoho or Agiliron, and it does not have ecommerce tools like Cin7 Orderhive. However, it has repair-specific features like automatic write-off of products in work orders, bin control, and consumables tracking.
Ordoro: Best Inventory Software for Volume Sellers & Dropshippers
Pros
- Discounted shipping rates
- Free onboarding and training for first 30 days
- Supports multiple warehouse locations
- Flexible pricing for seasonal businesses
Cons
- Lacks inventory management in the basic plan
- Higher price point than most inventory software
- No mobile app
To take advantage of the inventory features, you need to be subscribed to one of the following plans:
- Pro ($499/month): Purchase orders, kitting, and dropshipping, returns management; 1 sales channel, 3,000 orders (price increases with more orders and sales channels)
- Enterprise ($999/ month): Adds vendor portals, inventory allocation, and custom integrations
- Seasonal (Flex) pricing: Rates are based on usage; call for a quote
Since our last update:
Ordoro has added more image display options and reserve quality functions, more options for tags and setting reserve quantities, vendor portal order splitting, and updates to various integrations with sales channels and shipping services.
Standout Features | Shipping integration and discounted shipping rates combined with an automated purchase tracking system, inventory data feeds from vendors, and support for multiple warehouses. |
Works for | Ecommerce stores, dropshippers, and volume sellers. |
Ease of Use | Intuitive user dashboard, online support center with videos, guides, and release notes; free onboarding and training for the first 30 days. |
Tracking | Automated tracking and low-stock alerts, dropshipped product inventory is decreased after order is marked as shipped or a label is created. |
Purchase Orders | Create purchase orders with listed suppliers, batch set up suppliers, analyze inventory costs. |
Barcoding | UPC barcodes, barcode scanning workflow (picking, packing, and verifying), purchase order scanning. |
Sales Channels | Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, Amazon, eBay, WooCommerce, Ecwid, and more. |
Integrations | 13 shopping carts, eight shipping companies, four fulfillment services, four suppliers, QuickBooks, three inventory tools, two POS systems, and API integration. |
Advanced Features | Bundling and kitting: fractional kits, kit-related products, products with varying quantities, multi-warehouse, and products with components. |
Customer Reviews | While customers raved about Ordoro's customer support, many asked for additional features like tracking lot codes. |
While Ordoro is primarily identified as a shipping platform, it provides advanced inventory management and automated purchasing features that intuitively integrate with its shipping system. Because of this, Ordoro makes supply chain management easy and efficient—an ideal solution for dropshippers and volume sellers. It is, however, the most expensive system on our list; if you want something equally feature-rich but cheaper, Agiliron is our suggestion, followed by Cin7 Orderhive for ecommerce companies, especially. Ordoro alone on our list offers seasonal pricing.
Like Orderry, Ordoro earned a 3.89 out of 5. Its integrations (plus available shipping discounts) and advanced inventory management solutions (such as kitting and bundling) contributed to its high score. Ordoro had the second-lowest pricing score after Cin7 Orderhive. If you need to minimize your inventory holding costs and save on volume shipping because of online orders, Ordoro is for you, but if you run a brick-and-mortar retail store, consider Zoho or Lightspeed.
How We Evaluated Inventory Management Software
We looked primarily for inventory-first programs as opposed to POS programs with inventory. We then narrowed our list of over two dozen software systems to those that are easy to use and have pricing plans suited for SMBs. After that, we evaluated for inventory tracking, reports, low-stock alerts, and more. We also gave points for handling multiple warehouses or sales channels, integrations, and customer support.
Since Our Last Update: We modified the rubric slightly to take into account survey data from small business owners looking for inventory software.
Based on these benchmarks, Zoho Inventory is the best inventory management software for small businesses. It received the highest overall score (4.49 out of 5) among the inventory platforms we reviewed.
Click through the tabs below for our full evaluation criteria:
20% of Overall Score
We prioritized software that includes a free plan or free trial and offer a plan option under $100. We also awarded points to systems that allow unlimited users and inventory items in their base plans. Zoho earned the highest score with 4.69 out of 5.
50% of Overall Score
We looked for real-time tracking (includes barcoding, batch, serial, and RFID tracking), low-stock and reorder alerts, multilocation and warehouse tracking, mobile inventory counts, and granular inventory management (kitting and assembly, variants, etc.) We also considered whether the tools provide purchase ordering, vendor, and centralized multichannel management. Finally, we examined whether each system has CRM functionality or integrates with popular CRM software. Agiliron took the lead with 4.88, with Lightspeed a close second at 4.81.
15% of Overall Score
We gave full points to platforms that offer 24/7 customer support, and provide online training, forum, or help documentation. We also considered its integrations with popular accounting, ecommerce, marketplace, and POS software. Lightspeed earned 4.81, far ahead of the others, because of its 24/7 customer support.
15% of Overall Score
Bottom Line
The right inventory management software for your small business can save you time, headaches, and money. Many are tied to point-of-sale systems, but some work alone or with accounting software and are designed for specific industries, from warehouses to rentals and repair shops.
Overall, we found Zoho Inventory the best suited for most small businesses because of its price point and ease of use. It offers the most important features needed to run a smooth store and ecommerce program. Visit Zoho and try it for free.
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